Old Chitral's Gift
by HuntressDiana
Summary: The creation of one of the great artifacts of Tortall, a gift from Old Chitral to the world of humans. From challenge 15 at the Dancing Dove forums.


**Old Chitral's Gift.**

**By HuntressDiana**

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_A response to Challenge fifteen at the Dancing Dove forums. All characters you recognise belong to Tamora Pierce, the plot is mine._

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It was only an ordinary rock to begin with. He had to admit that it would be considered by some to be pretty, but it was only a rock. He knew he was taking a great risk doing this, but they needed it.

It was at times like this he despised his gift of prophecy; he was tormented every second by images of what might happen. He had learned early on not to tell anyone what he Saw happening to them. It was too hard on him to tell them if it was bad, and no matter what they tried to do to prevent it happening to them, somehow it happened anyway. It was quite ironic, now he thought about it, he was one of the most powerful beings alive and he was the most helpless.

His sister had provided her favoured among the race of men with a power akin her own. She had called it her Gift to them. He Saw how this Gift would separate into threads, Healing, Wild Magic, War magic, Shape Shifting, and the Sight. He didn't need the gift of foresight to know that some people would use this to further their own ends, to hurt others and that other mages would spend their lives repairing wrongs. That was the nature of men, and there was nothing he could do to change it, even if he had wanted to.

Now it was his turn to bestow a precious contribution to this growing world. But he would be more discerning than his sibling, he knew what could happen if he wasn't.

He fixed his eyes upon this bit of rock. It was just a vessel for his power, and for a bit of his sister's. She had given her permission for him to do this, and she was sitting at the back of the cave, watching with interested eyes. He reached his free hand out to her, asking her permission once more. When this process started it could not be stopped, it was a great danger to interfere with the workings of those such as he. The Great Gods were but children to him, and his brethren, and he knew that he would remain there after them.

When his focus returned he saw a ball floating in the air. The colours blended, revealing themselves for a moment, then vanishing again. He saw the brilliant copper thread of Wild Magic and pulled at out first. As his fingers ran along the length, he Saw mages of the future; a small group of people, short and tattooed, a boy with an owl flying alongside him, a girl, grey eyed and brown haired staring up at him. He fed the thread into the rock and then sighed in pleasure as he saw the colour shining through the clear crystal. The green of healing magic was next, white robed men and women, some splattered with red danced in front if his eyes. It was followed by the red of war magic, screams of pain echoing in his ears and then the white of the Sight. The black of shape shifters was last, and he felt the presence of the hundreds of men and women who would transform themselves into the wild beasts who roamed the lands and would run freely with them.

And then the rainbow hued crystal shone bright.

He sighed in contentment and turned to his sister who was smiling gently at him.

"You did it." She said, slipping off her ledge and walking towards him. She took the rock from his hands and examined it carefully.

"Wait!" His voice was hoarse from not being used for millennia. "This is too powerful to be used by all. It was created to help make lands prosper."

"Then give it to their leaders." She counselled. He nodded and sat down on the hard floor, closing his eyes. He dove into the future and selected from each thread a line of men who would become first chiefs, war leaders and then Kings. He frowned, his brow creasing in annoyance. Not all of these were suitable to hold this wonderful gift. Some people who wouldn't become leaders would wield this better then others who would. And due to the nature of this rock, only those with some magic would be able to use it. They, and some they commanded, would have to be compelled to seek this out.

With a sigh, he settled himself down for hard work. There were infinite numbers of futures, and he had to search them all.

When he finally came back into his body, he was satisfied. He knew that this precious rock would not be misused, and his work was nearly done. He bound the bloodlines of those he had chosen into the stone and then he was done.

"Take it." He held it out and his sister took it, reverently. "I need to rest. It will find its way to those who can wield it. And occasionally it will find its way back to me."

"It is beautiful." She said softly, awed.

"The creation of it, the magic was beautiful." He corrected her. "This is only an echo of that beauty."

He began to move towards the back of the cave.

"What will you name it?" She called after him.

He stopped and smiled at her.

"It is Old Chitral's best work," he said with the air of one who just knew, as indeed he did, "In the future men will call it the Dominion Jewel. It is a good name for it."

His sister nodded and vanished, taking the Jewel with her. He laughed slowly and walked into his cave, to wait for the future he had produced as he had created his jewel. He had bound his power into the stone and now he could rest, he would no longer see the future. But he knew one thing, one day someone worthy of the power would come to him, and he would give it to her.


End file.
